Salonfocus Jan-Feb 2014

THE ESSENTIAL MAGAZINE FOR SALON OWNERS

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 | £3.50

NHF to become hairdressing’s business champion Join our seminars for a more profitable 2014!

Federation applies to be apprenticeship ‘trailblazer’ The winners and drama from Britain’s Best

PAGE 2 SALONFOCUS MAY/JUNE 2013

WAVELENGTH

Why NHF membership is about creating, not just representing, the best of the industry elsewhere, will be increasingly important Here’s to a happy, and prosperous, new year and 2014. We all know it’s been a pretty grim five years since the banking in the longer term. We should add to this the prospect of the Federation becoming crash of 2008, even though hairdressing as a sector has a sector “trailblazer” for the government’s held up remarkably well. The news therefore, as we report apprenticeship reform programme (News, on page 11, that trade is finally picking up, predominantly page 10) – and I’m keeping my fingers in London but also elsewhere, is excellent. It’s too early yet crossed the to know how the high street fared ‘The Federation’s ability to make Department for Business, over Christmas but, certainly, the Innovation and Skills sees the early indicators as I write this at the a real, concrete difference to sense in the NHF taking on this beginning of December appear to a salon’s bottom line, to offer role – and the lead it is giving, be good. I hope your salon or salons through its expert reference had a busy festive period. benefits and support that group, in mapping out the future A new year, of course, is a salon owner cannot get of apprenticeship standards. traditionally a time to reflect, to elsewhere, will be increasingly The NHF has always attracted look back on the 12 months just and represented the best, most gone and mentally regroup for important in the longer term. successful, salons in the country; the coming year. To that end, I do The NHF has always attracted now it’s also about showing salons recommend you take a look at our how NHF membership can help Business Focus section (pages 22-24) and represented the best, most to become the best, the most where Richard Wallace offers advice successful, salons in the country; them successful. on how to use the traditional “down now it’s also about showing To my mind the Federation time” of January to take stock and is developing not so much a begin to think more strategically, salons how NHF membership new identity as crystallising and while Chris Amos examines how the can help them to become the sharpening an identity it’s always NHF’s new programme of business had but maybe hasn’t promoted workshops is set to help members best, the most successful.’ strongly enough: that of the tackle, and rise above, the core industry’s influencer and business champion. If the business challenges most small salons face. popularity of the taster programme of business workshops These workshops, as we highlight both on page five that ran during the autumn is anything to go by, this is and within Federation Focus on page 30, are just one part completely the right direction for the Federation to be of what, to me at least, is a hugely exciting package of going in, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the new initiatives, member benefits and events being put momentum the NHF is now building in this direction together during 2014. When you combine existing and plays out. new benefits – access to bespoke business education, Finally, one other element I suspect will always be a pension, dedicated salon apps, a mystery shopper an important part of NHF membership is its dedication service, optimisation tools for your website, chair renting to competitions. So, along with president Paul Curry, I agreements, restrictive covenant factsheets, standard offer my congratulations to all the winners of November’s contracts, the Legal Lifeline, SalonFocus, colour “record Britain’s Best competition. Please do take a look at our cards” (to list just some) – you begin to build up a truly coverage on pages five, eight and nine, along with the compelling business proposition for salon owners. And I work of our Photographic Stylist of the Year competitors use the phrase “business proposition” here deliberately, as highlighted on the cover and pages 18-19. The talent on that’s what I think, increasingly, NHF membership is going show in Birmingham was second to none and, as Paul to be about. pointed out, the fact there were so many new and up-andMembership of the NHF will undoubtedly always coming entrants bodes well for the future strength (and have a social element, and the value of that in terms of prosperity) of British hairdressing. networking and contact building or, simply, pleasure should not be overlooked. But the Federation’s ability to make a real, concrete difference to a salon’s bottom line, to offer benefits and support that a salon owner cannot get

www.nhf.info

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 3

CONTENTS OUR CONTRIBUTORS

News

05 NHF sets out stall to become business champion 06 Colour ‘record cards’ flying off NHF shelves 08-09 Flying the flag for Britain: Britain’s Best in pictures 10 Federation waiting to hear on ‘trailblazer’ status 11 Recovery finally filtering through to the high street 12 New beauty registers spark industry war of words 13 Warning over credit rating apathy 14 Saks testing ‘express’ beauty format 16 Analysis – how employment law seminars helped salons

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INSPIRED

Strike a pose – images from the winners and finalists of this year’s NHF Photographic Stylist of the Year competition

Trevor Bell is an awardwinning trainer who works with Mental Health First Aid England and specialises Richard Wallace in helping (top) is owner businesses of Richard understand Wallace Hair mental health. in Solihull. With His partner, Chris Amos he Susan, started training has owned consultancy hairdressing Winning Ways business Education in Hairbiz in 2009, which will south Tyneside be delivering for more than the NHF’s 20 years new business workshops.

Chris Amos is owner of Chapters Hairs in Bromsgrove

Charlie Lawson is national director of business networking organisation Business Network International Rebecca Linacre is employment consultant at Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline

BUSINESS FOCUS

Banish the new year blues – refresh your business in 2014 The art of knowledge – the NHF’s new workshops explained

TOOLBOX

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Smooth operators – the hair smoothing consultation Power to the people – making networking more than chat Tried and Tested – our panel testing page

REGULARS

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Wavelength – why NHF membership is about creating, not just representing, the best of the industry HairClips – NHF to join high streets forum Movers and groovers – BHA winners Beauty spots – growth in eyebrow transplants Column – managing mental ill-health Federation Focus – new member benefits explained Case confidential – a helpline call resolved Events – key dates for your diary @nhfederation – all the online gossip and tweets

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Front cover Hair: Joshua Goldsworthy, Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing, Swindon, (men’s winner, NHF Photographic Stylist of the Year competition) Photographer: James Rudland Stylist: Tracy Goldsworthy Make-up: Crystal

SALONFOCUS IS PUBLISHED BY: National Hairdressers’ Federation, One Abbey Court, Fraser Road, Priory Business Park, Bedford MK44 3WH t: 0845 345 6500 t: 01234 831965 f: 01234 838875 e: sfenquiries@salonfocus.co.uk w: www.nhf.info PUBLISHER Hilary Hall e: hilary.hall@nhf.info EDITOR Nic Paton e: sfeditor@salonfocus.co.uk EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Andrew Don e: sfeditor@salonfocus.co.uk EVENTS Tori Priestley t: 01234 834386 e: victoria.priestley@nhf.info AD SALES Media Shed Ltd 22a Market Hill, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6BA www.media-shed.co.uk Advertising Sales Manager Natalie Tuerena T: + 44 (0) 1354 818010 e: natt@media-shed.co.uk DESIGN & PRODUCTION Rick Fraterrigo Matrix Print Consultants Ltd t: 01536 527297 e: rick@matrixprint.com While every care is taken in compiling this issue of SalonFocus including manuscripts and photographs submitted, we accept no responsibility for any losses or damage, whatever the cause. All information and prices contained in advertisements are accepted by the publishers in good faith as being correct at the time of going to press. Neither the advertisers nor the publishers accept any responsibility for any variations affecting price variations or availability after the publication has gone to press. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher, to whom application must first be made. The views expressed by contributors to SalonFocus are not necessarily those of the NHF, the publisher or its editor. © 2011 The National Hairdressers’ Federation.

Material for consideration in this section of the magazine should be submitted on CDROM as high resolution jpeg or tiff files to The Editor, SalonFocus. Submissions should be made on the understanding that the National Hairdressers’ Federation has the right to use the material in any part of the magazine and any of its other publications, promotions or website, free from any copyright restrictions, or appearance fees other than the issue of artistic and photographic credits where applicable. Please include salon name, photographer & stylist.

NEWS

NHF sets out stall to become the industry’s business champion The NHF is from this month launching a major programme of activity and new member benefits designed to position itself as the industry’s primary business resource for – and business champion of – hairdressers and barbers.

A nationwide programme of business workshops is kicking off from January after a number of taster seminars were run during the autumn. The courses will cover how to deliver a great client experience, how to make your salon more profitable and how to manage yourself and your team.

An “NHF calculator” app is being developed to help salon owners better manage key business issues such as holiday, redundancy and maternity pay.

Members are also being offered an NHF-branded salon app to help tap into growing demand from clients and salon owners for mobile options. A further new benefit from January will be access to a new NHF mystery shopper service.

Later this year an NHF pension will be launched in anticipation of the arrival of

in demand for the courses pension auto-enrolment and workshops we began within the industry. running in the autumn, for NHF president clear, practical business Paul Curry said advice and support tailored the unprecedented to the specific needs of programme of activity hairdressers, and that is needed to be seen precisely what the NHF in the context of the is offering. lead the Federation “The upcoming NHF is taking in reforming pension, too, will be tailorstandards, qualifications made for hairdressers, and apprenticeships for so it will not only be for hairdressers and barbers. permanent staff and This includes owners, but for partimminently publishing its PAUL CURRY: timers and employees expert reference group COMPETITIVE EDGE returning from a career blueprint for the future of break or having a family. These are major apprenticeships and applying to changes that will give existing members become one of the government’s and anyone joining the NHF a real apprenticeship sector “trailblazers” competitive edge,” he added. (see News, page eight).

Full details on the new offers can be “For salon owners a lot of the found online at http://www.nhf.info/ business training that’s available is member-benefits-and-services/ as either irrelevant or much too general,” well as on pages 22, 23, 30 and 33 of this he told SalonFocus. edition of SalonFocus.

“There is a real gap, as we have seen

Ayrshire salon manager joins ranks of ‘Britain’s Best’

Scottish salon manager Sam Lorimer was crowned “salon owner/manager of the year” at November’s NHF Britain’s Best competition.

Sam, manager of Urban Hair in Cumnock, East Ayrshire won the Text Vote – Salon Owner/Manager of the Year award, one of the key categories within the competition, this year sponsored by L’Oréal Professionnel.

Other winners at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel on November 17 included Emma Phillips, of Robert

www.nhf.info

John salon in Portishead, Bristol, who was named Senior Ladies Hairdresser of the Year and Gary Pearce, of Gary Pearce Hair Design in Huddersfield who won Senior Men’s Hairdresser of the Year.

More than 250 people flocked to the competition, now in its second year, to watch the intense action across 11 categories and meet British Hairdresser of the Year nominee Jamie Stevens.

This was on top of the thousands of votes received for the Text Vote Popularity Poll and the many who entered the mobile-phone based Click ‘n’ Send Head of the Year Photographic Competition.

Sam told SalonFocus: “I was pretty shocked when I heard my name but really, really pleased; it is also great of course for the salon.”

The competition was this year marked by the number of new, up-andcoming names who both entered and

won awards, including Lucy Leach, of Cutting Edge Hair and Beauty in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, who won the First Timer – Make it your Hair award.

“It was great to see so many new faces, all so passionate about our industry and British hairdressing. My congratulations to all this year’s winners,” said NHF president Paul Curry.

The winners of the NHF’s Photographic Stylist of the Year competition were also announced at Britain’s Best, with Elizabeth Mapp of Elizabeth & Giovanni’s in Kidderminster winning the ladies category and Joshua Goldsworthy of Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing in Swindon winning the men’s award.

Images from this competition can be found on the cover and pages 18-19. Turn to pages 8-9 for coverage of the day in Birmingham. A full listing of Britain’s Best winners can be found at www.nhf.info

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 5

NEWS

Colour ‘record cards’ flying off NHF shelves

HAIRCLIPS STOP PRESS

As SalonFocus was going to press, it was announced by high streets and local government minister Brandon Lewis that the NHF is being invited to join the government’s Future High Streets Forum. The forum was set up in February last year and comprises retailers, business and property groups, councils and government, and is looking at ways to reinvigorate Britain’s high streets. There will be further coverage of this in the March/ April edition of SalonFocus.

SAFETY POSTER

ALLERGY ALERT CARD: HUGE DEMAND

The NHF has experienced huge demand from salon owners for its new colour “record cards”, with orders for more than 80,000 cards, or the equivalent of 800 packs, being taken in the first three months since their launch.

The Allergy Alert Consultation and Colour Record Card was unveiled in September (SalonFocus, November/December 2013), and is a joint project between the NHF and the Freelance Hair & Beauty Federation in consultation with the Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association.

It allows stylists to keep a much clearer, more transparent record of a client’s colour history and allows them better to gauge whether, when a client makes a colour appointment, they need an allergy test to be carried out 48 hours beforehand.

A series of NHF workshops was held around the country during November to introduce members to the cards and how they worked.

One salon owner who has taken up the cards enthusiastically is Mark Smith, who runs Smith & Co Hairdressing in Great Dunmow in Essex.

“I ordered two packets immediately, as the card answered many of the questions we have had for a long time around allergy testing,” Mark told SalonFocus.

“We started using them properly from the beginning of November and it is going really well – they are now part of our normal record system. If anyone comes into the salon for a colour we go through the questions and run through the protocol as explained on the card.

“We’ve been doing allergy testing as a matter of course for the past two years. But before the cards it was all rather piecemeal, with different advice coming from different colour houses, often which wasn’t very practical anyway.

“The real benefit has been for re-testing. Now if a client is coming in on a regular basis it means, depending on the questionnaire, we only need test them once a year.

With the cards it is much easier to understand and you know, as long as you follow them, you have peace of mind.

“The wider concern however, of course, is that for every salon that allergy tests, like we do, there’s another that isn’t. It is a big worry in terms of the perception and professionalism of the industry,” Mark added.

The cards can be used by salons insured by Coversure Insurance Services, the NHF’s preferred insurance broker.

In a separate development, some NHF members have asked for clarification about using ColourStart allergy tests, manufactured by Trichocare, in the context of the new cards.

To clarify, sylists should either use ColourStart in accordance with the Trichocare’s instructions, in which case they are covered by both Coversure and Trichocare’s insurance, or the NHF Allergy Alert Consultation and Colour Record Card.

As well as 800 packs of colour cards, NHF head office has sent out 600 sets of apprenticeship deeds following the launch of new standard NHF contracts in October, and 1,500 sets of the new contracts.

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Salon owners are being reminded by the Health and Safety Executive that, if they have not switched already, the new simplified version of its Health and Safety Law poster will need to be displayed from April 5, 2014. The poster, created back in 2009, replaces the original 1999 version and can be found at HSE Books http://books.hse. gov.uk/hse/public/home.jsf. The NHF, meanwhile, is working on a new health and safety guide for hairdressing salons and barber shops in conjunction with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health. More details on this are expected to be available later in the year.

GALVIN AWARD

Celebrity hairdresser and occasional SalonFocus columnist Daniel Galvin has been named a patron of honour by the Hairdressing Council, only the second hairdresser to receive this accolade after Vidal Sassoon. The award was in recognition of his dedication to hairdressing education and his support for the council’s campaign for mandatory state registration of hairdressing.

PARKING REPORT

Every local authority should publish an annual parking report to show precisely where the money they make from car parking charges and fines comes from and how that income is subsequently used, MPs have said. A report by the Parliamentary Commons Transport Committee conceded there was a “deeprooted public perception that parking enforcement is used as a cash cow”, so it was essential local authorities “apply stringent transparency”.

WET SHAVE WONDER

There has been a 50 per cent rise in British cut-throat shaving barbers in the past 12 months, research from the British Barbers’ Association and shaving brand The Bluebeards Revenge has suggested. There are now an estimated 14,100 barbershops in Britain, with 5,076 (36 per cent of the total) offering cutthroat shaving, up from just 3,384 (24 per cent) in August 2012, it calculated.

BRITAIN’S BEST 4

Flying the f lag for British hairdressing!

Competition veterans and rising talent gathered in Birmingham for November’s Britain’s Best with one ambition in mind – to celebrate the very best of British hairdressing. SalonFocus records a day of passion, inspiration and skill.

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1. LUCY LEACH, Cutting Edge Hair and Beauty, winner, First Timer – Make it your Hair 2 & 4. EMMA PHILLIPS, Robert John, winner, Senior Ladies Chicest Chic Part 2 3. SAM LORIMER, Urban Hair Cumnock, winner, Text Vote – Salon Owner/Manager of the Year 5. EVAN RICHARDS, Seckingtons, winner, Senior Ladies Chicest Chic Part 1 6. HANNAH CLAGUE, Reds Hair Company, runner up, Senior Ladies Hairdresser of the Year 7. SAMUEL CUTS, winner, Senior Men’s, Part 1 8. GARY PEARCE, Gary Pearce Hair Design, winner, Senior Men’s Hairdresser of the Year 9. CLARE HATHERILL, Giovanni’s, winner, Junior Ladies Chicest Chic Part 1; winner, Text Vote – Junior Stylist of the Year

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10. JOSEPH LEEMAN-HAWLEY, Seckingtons, winner, Junior Barbers Part 1 11. CLARE FUSZARD, Giovanni’s, winner, Text Vote – Barber of the Year.

12. JONATHAN EDGE, Jonathan Edge The Hair Shop, winner, Click ‘n’ Send – Senior Men’s 13. STEVE CLEWLOW, The Coach House, winner, Click ‘n’ Send – Ladies Senior.

NEWS: APPRENTICESHIPS

NHF waiting to hear on ‘trailblazer’ status The National Hairdressers’ Federation is hoping to hear within weeks whether it has been successful in applying to become one of the government’s sector MATTHEW HANCOCK: “trailblazers” SIMPLICITY AND RIGOUR helping to map out the future of apprenticeship training.

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has said it hopes to make a decision on the second wave of trailblazers early this year, although as SalonFocus went to press a spokeswoman cautioned there was not yet a firm timetable for a decision.

The BIS told SalonFocus: “We expect a decision to be made early in the new year, that’s as precise as we can say at the moment. We want to give the first wave of trailblazers a couple of months to bed down first, as they have only just been launched.”

The appointment of trailblazers is being seen as a key element of the government’s ambition to create new, more employer-based and employer-led frameworks for apprenticeships.

The trailblazers will be expected to “provide clear examples of effective practice and approaches which others can build on”, the government has said.

The initiative was at the heart of the BIS document, The Future of Apprenticeships in England, published in October, which outlined how the government intends to implement the recommendations of 2012’s Richard Review of apprenticeships (see panel).

The intention is to develop and introduce the structures during 2015/16 and 2016/17, with all new apprenticeship starts from 2017/18 onwards based on the new standards.

Skills and enterprise minister Matthew Hancock said: “Our aim is that the new apprenticeships will focus squarely on rigorous training for learners and simplicity of use for employers.”

The NHF’s expert reference group is also shortly expected to

PAGE 10 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

publish its blueprint for the future of apprenticeships within the industry.

A government survey, meanwhile, has suggested eight out of 10 people would not visit a salon if they discovered it was paying its workers less than the national minimum wage (NMW).

The BIS in the autumn published research arguing hairdressing was by far the worst industry for failing to pay apprentices their proper NMW, with nearly seven out of 10 hairdressing apprentices saying this had been the case in 2012.

This latest research is a clear sign of the government’s desire to maintain the pressure on this issue, with “naming and shaming” of firms that flout the NMW also being stepped up.

The latest BIS poll has argued 90 per cent of people feel employers who fail to pay the wage are “a disgrace”.

Salons that pay the right rates are more likely to have productive staff, as eight out of 10 admit to “not working as hard” if they feel underpaid, it added.

NHF chief executive Hilary Hall said that, quite apart from the individual reputational damage highlighted by the BIS, salons not paying the NMW hurt the whole industry.

“In a labour-intensive industry such as hairdressing, small salons simply cannot afford continuing increases in the NMW. But our industry can only argue the case for continuing wage restraint on the high street if it first puts its own house in order,” she said.

What the government has proposed The BIS document The Future of Apprenticeships in England has said its vision for new-look apprenticeships is that they will be: •• employer-led and designed “so they respond to the needs of industry, meaning each apprentice has the skills required by the sector”; •• focused on quality “so the apprentice has to demonstrate their ability through rigorous assessment at the end of their apprenticeship”; and •• graded on completion – pass, merit, or distinction – “to mark the level of achievement”.

The new employer-led apprenticeship standards will replace the current frameworks and will need to be short, accessible and easy to understand, with one standard for each occupation.

All apprenticeships will have to last for a minimum of one year – which the NHF has argued will be too short for hairdressing – and the requirement for English and maths will be “stepped up gradually”, said the BIS. Importantly, employers will be given a key role in developing assessment structures and mechanisms, with assessment primarily focused on end-ofcourse testing.

The first wave of trailblazers is covering eight sectors: aerospace, automotive, digital industries, electro-technical, energy, financial services, food and drink, and life and industrial sciences.

However, the government has stressed it recognises the majority of apprentices work in smaller companies and this needs to be represented.

“The trailblazers will work with professional bodies and with small businesses in their sector to ensure that the standards they develop are widely applicable,” it has said.

APPRENTICESHIPS: REFORMS

“During the trailblazer phase we will also examine the system specifically from a small business point of view to learn lessons for future implementation,” it added.

NEWS

Economic recovery finally filtering through to the high street Exclusive

By Andrew Don

of clients overall (1,385/1,252).

Hairdressing is finally seeing signs of However, when it came to number of trade picking up, as the improving visits, salons outside the capital saw 3,093 economic indicators evident since last client visits each compared with 2,942 summer have begun to filter through to each in London over the period. the high street, according to exclusive The figures also showed London research for the NHF. salons earned six per cent of their Research for SalonFocus by Phorest revenue from retail sales compared with Salon Software – which is used by five per cent outside of around 1,000 salons and spas the capital.

– has suggested many salons Phorest marketing gained hundreds of new manager Connor Keppel clients across the country last advised salons to use loyalty year, with salons in London schemes and social media doing the best. channels to promote the retail The figures from a total of side of their businesses.

266 London salons and 240 “Not in a ‘buy it here’, outside the capital, showed pushy way, but educate London hairdressers gained consumers on why their on average 818 new clients products are much better than each in the year to October CONNOR KEPPEL: FOCUS the cheaper alternative on compared to 640 outside of ON RETAIL the supermarket shelf and the the capital.

London businesses also outperformed benefits of using that product,” he said.

Salons should also put more of other parts of the country when it came their energy into “retention marketing” to total revenue earned (£129,474 as – increasing visits and average spend against £104,628), revenue from product – rather than getting too focused on sales (£8,043/£5,523), revenue from attracting new clients. services (£121,431/£99,105) and number

THE HIGH STREET: OPTIMISM RETURNING

Stephen Kee, managing director of Saks Hair and Beauty, agreed he had seen evidence of an upturn at his company, which had had 100 enquiries from prospective UK franchisees during August and September – the most for five years. Like-for-like salon sales were up two per cent year-on-year, and the average bill had gone up “a bit”, he said.

“We’ve not noticed clients coming in more frequently but it was getting to the stage where they were coming less frequently so that’s stable now,” he added.

Richard Hull, managing director of professional hair and beauty supplier Salon Services, said one factor was that innovative and entrepreneurial salons had adapted to changes in the economy.

“Salons that have worked hard to retain and attract new clients through new initiatives, diversified to offer new treatments such as male grooming, and adopted smarter ways of working, should be able to capitalise on the brighter economic outlook as we move into 2014,” he said.

EU poised to tighten controls on hair chemical The European Commission (EC) is expected to impose further restrictions on the use of the controversial chemical preservative methylisothiazolinone (M1), which is common in haircare and cosmetic products, following a huge upswing in sensitivity reactions among members of the public.

Back in 2004 the EC’s Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-Food Products (SCCNFP) said it was of the opinion that “the proposed use of methylisothiazolinone as a preservative at a maximum concentration of 0.01 per cent (100 ppm) in the finished cosmetic product does not pose a risk to the health of the consumer”.

However, the EC has now changed tack, issuing a notice in September to say it would be reviewing the use of M1 at the previously approved maximum.

www.nhf.info

According to Dr Ian White, consultant dermatologist at the St John’s Institute of Dermatology in south-east London, increased exposure of the public to M1 is at the heart of the problem.

“It is so widely used in leave-on and rinse-off products in the last few years.

This has resulted in enormous exposure and it is this exposure that is the cause of the sensitisation,” he told SalonFocus.

Dr White added that, as no safe level of use had been established for leave-on products it should not be used in these items, but 15 ppm should be safe for M1 in rinse-off products.

Dr Emma Meredith, head of scientific and technical services at the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, said M1 was an effective preservative and “extremely important” to guard against contamination by micro-organisms

during storage and use.

But she added: “Contamination of products, especially those used around the eyes and on skin, can cause significant problems if the level of contamination is high.”

The growing concerns expressed by dermatologists meant it would not be surprising if the EC imposed further restrictions, she predicted.

Dr Meredith urged anyone experiencing a DR EMMA MEREDITH: skin reaction to contact ADVICE the customer care line listed on the product to ensure their feedback could be used and acted on and to get a medical diagnosis.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 11

NEWS

New beauty registers spark industry war of words

By Andrew Don

independent organisations to ensure the integrity of A bitter war of words has broken out between the industry’s the registers are never breached; SkillsActive is one such sector skills body Habia and the British Association of Beauty government-licensed organisation.”

Therapy and Cosmetology (Babtac) over Habia’s launch George Hammer, chairman of the Habia of three registers for the beauty and spa Skills Academy and of hair and beauty group industries.

Urban Retreat, added: “Increasingly it has become Habia unveiled individual professional difficult to work out who has the right skills to do registers in spa, beauty and nails in the final the job based on the ‘qualifications’ we are being quarter of last year (SalonFocus, November/ presented with from candidates.”

December 2013).

Habia has also offered assurances to the But the move brought an immediate Hairdressing Council (HC) that its move is not response from Babtac, whose membership a precursor to launching similar registers for embraces what it estimates to be about a fifth hairdressing or barbering. of the market, which blasted the registers as Richard Lambert, sales, marketing and skills “effectively worthless” and urged members not academy director at Habia, emphasised the to bother signing up. organisation had always supported the HC’s call Babtac argued the £35-a-year register had for the state registration of hairdressers and had the potential to “undermine the industry and no plans to launch its own for hairdressing and could be viewed as a simple money-making barbering. “In fact [we will be] probably working CAROLYNE CROSS: CRITICISM scheme”. closer than ever before,” he said.

Organisation chair Carolyne Cross said: NHF chief executive Hilary Hall agreed anything that raised “The checks outlined by Habia are actually considerably less standards in the industry was “good news” but conceded there than our own. At this stage, we don’t stand to gain anything was “a fine line between that and introducing unnecessary from the registers, whether they go ahead or not, but we have bureaucracy”. a responsibility to investigate these matters and advise our She said: “We need to be clear as to the reasons why the members accordingly. At this stage, we feel the registers lack registers have been set up and the benefits they will deliver any credibility.” to the public, the individuals who register and the salons that But Habia, through its parent body SkillsActive, has employ them.” defended the launch of the registers, pointing out that any In a separate development, Babtac has said that from this money raised will be re-invested in raising standards. month it will be introducing increased minimum training Ian Taylor, chief executive of SkillsActive, said: “The standards for members, a new tier of recognised training for government and employers who wish to professionalise their therapists, additional checks for training providers and offering industry are really strong advocates of registers, particularly of recognition of some online training courses. voluntary registers, which are run and managed by

Recycling scheme targets salons

LOCAL GREEN POINTS: SALON REWARDS

PAGE 12 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

An initiative in London and the south of England that offers the public rewards for recycling has been targeting salons as a way of expanding its activity.

The Local Green Points Card scheme offers incentives to residents who recycle more or reduce the amount of waste going to landfill or incineration.

In return residents can collect points to buy goods in a special “Green Rewards” online store as well as benefit from discounts and promotional offers with local independent traders – with hairdressing salons, barbers and beauty spas among the most popular options.

Hairdressing and beauty-related businesses accounted for almost a quarter of the 120 traders to have so far offered promotions to local residents in

south east and east London, Cheltenham, in Essex and Rother District in east Sussex, said Graham Simmonds, managing partner for Local Green Points.

Graham told SalonFocus he hoped to expand the scheme into most of England over the next three to four years, including east London and west London this year and the Midlands.

One salon owner who has joined the scheme is Nermin Arshan, owner of Pink Ladies Hair & Beauty in Barnehurst, south east London.

“It didn’t cost me to sign up which is why I wasn’t too fussed,” said Nermin.

“I’m keen on doing the right thing,” added Joanna Hervé, owner of Vallenders in Cheltenham, another who has joined the scheme.

NEWS

Warning over credit rating apathy Salon owners have been urged to check out their business’s credit scores, after research ranked hairdressing salons bottom out of 13 small business sectors.

The study from price comparison website Makeitcheaper. com found just 19 per cent of businesses were aware their credit rating could affect important business costs such as their energy price. Just 15 per cent of salons knew their credit score.

Hairdressers came bottom, tied with restaurants, with an average rating of 49 out of 100 in Makeitcheaper’s study of its 60,000 small business customers. Engineers had the best scores, followed by accountants, solicitors and farmers.

The website has pointed out that a credit score below 40 will often restrict the choice of energy tariffs available to a business, with utilities reserving the cheapest deals for those with the highest scores.

Jonathan Elliott, chief executive and founder of Makeitcheaper, said: “It is tough to pin down why this is an issue among salons more so than other businesses, but it’s clear that many aren’t staying on top of their books.”

He cited the example of one that suffered a credit downgrade after its accountant allegedly filed returns late.

“Despite having had a healthy credit score, the accountant’s alleged mistake meant their rating was downgraded and, as a result, their energy supplier refused to renew their contract,” he warned.

Franchisees could be particularly exposed to this problem because they can JONATHAN ELLIOTT: be bound by the credit SALONS AT RISK performance of other franchisees in their group, even though they are nominally independent businesses, he added.

Jonathan has urged salon owners to take a proactive approach to their credit ratings by: • Staying in touch with credit rating agencies, such as Experian • Paying bills on time • Filing accounts promptly • Keeping up with loan repayments Hilary Hall, NHF chief executive, backed the advice. “Salon owners, we all know, have an awful lot of responsibilities to juggle – but being aware of, and being proactive about, your credit rating is important. For any members struggling with this issue, the NHF will be there to offer business advice and support.”

www.nhf.info

MOVERS&GROOVERS BHA WINNERS

A DECADE’S SUCCESS

NHF ROYALTY!

P.Kai salon in Peterborough celebrated a decade in business with a shopping evening in November, including nibbles, prize draws, donations to charity and a goodie bag for the first 100 visitors. Owner Kai said: “We love an excuse to have a great get-together with our team and clients to share what we do and love every day.”

Congratulations to Angelo Vallillo, of Zullo & Holland in Nottingham, who won the Eastern Hairdresser of the Year Award at November’s British Hairdressing Awards.

Well done, too, to all other NHFmember winners, including Rachelle Simmonds and Dafydd Rhys Thomas, of Ken Picton Salon, Cardiff, who won Wales & South West Hairdresser of the Year and James Whyte of Soul Hair, Chester, Cheshire, who won Midlands Hairdresser of the Year. British Hairdresser of the Year was Akin Konizi.

AUTISM RUN

Immediate past president Mark Coray, NEC member for Wales James Beattie, London NEC representative Audrey Morgan and her husband Jim recently attended the Queen’s Garden Party at Buckingham palace.

Mark told SalonFocus: “To represent the NHF at such a prestigious event was an absolute honour, we all had a fabulous day.”

A London hairdresser has been inspired to run this year’s London Marathon by the loyalty of a client who is disabled. Ali Duzgun, a hairdresser at Sassy Hair Salon in Southgate, will run the marathon to raise money for the National Autistic Society because of the loyalty of client Narin Kumbarji, who has autism and has been coming to the salon for 12 years.

CHARITY SUCCESS

GLYNIS ELLIOT

The NHF is saddened to announce that former NEC member for the Southern Region Glynis Elliot passed away in November. Her funeral took place on November 21.

As well as an NHF member for 25 years, Glynis was a noted dog lover and asked for any donations in her memory to be made to the charity The Dogs Trust www.dogstrust. org.uk.

MODEL VISIT

Well done to all the team at Clipso Hemel Hempstead, which raised more than £832 in November for local charity The Hospice of St Francis through hosting a pamper evening and holding a raffle. “We would like to say a big thank you to everyone,” said managing director Ian Ward.

GUILD IN LONDON

Victoria’s Secret model and organic skincare entrepreneur Miranda Kerr dropped into the Bulgari salon in London’s Belgravia in November, where she was greeted by the salon’s front-of-house team led by director Elena Lavagni. The Australian model and mother of one visited the salon for an appointment with stylist Despina.

Guild Hairdressing launched a flagship London salon in November, opening on the King’s Road. The salon originally opened in Paris in 2011.

HOSPICE WINNER

A Hull hairdresser has been named “Miss Great Britain Charity 2013” after raising more than £2,000 for a children’s hospice. Kelly Winter, a stylist at Kreative Hair and Beauty in Hedon, raised £2,185 for the local Rainbows Children’s Hospice.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 13

NEWS

Saks testing ‘express’ BEAUTY SPOTS beauty format BUSHY BROWS

Saks, the franchised hair and beauty group, is putting the finishing touches to a new “express” beauty service that it hopes imminently to launch in two KIRSTY JEWSON: pilot hair-only EXPRESS BEAUTY FORMAT salons.

The development has come as managing director Stephen Kee has revealed to SalonFocus he plans to increase the operator’s international presence, especially in India and the United Arab Emirates.

Kirsty Jewson, Saks’ head of beauty, revealed exclusively to SalonFocus she was working with its Chester and Great Yarmouth hair-only branches to test the “express” beauty format.

Planning was at the early stages when SalonFocus went to press but Kirsty said it would comprise nails, brows, eyelash extensions, lash lengthening treatments and other eyelash services initially – “finishing services that tie in nicely with the hair treatments”, she said.

About 35 of Saks’ 100-odd salons offer just hair services and Kirsty acknowledged the potential existed to add the new express beauty service in all hair-only salons.

“It gives us a new dimension to our business offer which means you can do

just hair, hair and beauty, or hair with express beauty,” she said.

The new service could possibly be a halfway house for a salon franchisee who did not want to open a full beauty salon.

“The benefit to us is we have a standalone beauty model so they could open a separate beauty salon if their existing one doesn’t have the space,” said Kirsty.

The “express” concept was all about “quick results and an immediate transformation in a short space of time”, said Kirsty.

“It’s tapping further into the emotional benefit of visiting a salon and eliminating the boredom factor of a three-hour colour treatment, for example.

“It will help encourage people to come into the business more frequently between hair appointments,” she added.

News of the new venture emerged following Saks’ opening of its first salon in Mahboula, Kuwait, in August via master licensee Naiwa General Trading Company – a 2,000sq ft salon on three floors of a new purpose-built building.

Stephen Kee said a second was scheduled to open in Kuwait in the new year and others were planned in several other countries in the UAE later this year.

He revealed “serious” talks were underway in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan.

“In the next five years about 25 per cent of our business might be international,” Stephen said.

An academy would open in India shortly, with the group still targeting 100 salons in that country, he added.

Surgical eyebrow transplants have risen by more than half in the past year, up 54 per cent, and eyebrow tattoos have risen by 64 per cent, according to a poll by patient information website WhatClinic.com. The rise has been blamed on people regretting having over-plucked their eyebrows in the past as well as the trend influence of model Cara Delevingne, who is known for her bushy eyebrows.

ONLINE SEARCHES….

The number of UK online searches relating to beauty products rose by nearly half in September alone, a poll has suggested.

The analysis by web marketing company Greenlight said such searches rose 48 per cent in September compared with the previous three months. A total of 2.5 million searches were made on Google in the UK during the month for skincare, haircare, nail care, make-up and fragrances, it added, with haircare up 31 per cent and make-up up 32 per cent.

…AND CHAT

The number of online groups and communities dedicated to discussing beauty care and products has exploded, a study by market researcher Diagonal Reports has concluded. Such consumer sites exist primarily to share information, how to get value for money and offer self help rather than act as more traditional “e-commerce” sites, it said.

HIDDEN EXTRAS

Research by UK hair and beauty retailer Xtras.co.uk has concluded that the average British woman has a beauty collection worth £450 yet only uses around a quarter of it, or the equivalent of £110 worth. In the survey of 1,872 women aged 18 and over, perfume and foundation were the most expensive items in the average woman’s beauty kit.

OZ BED BAN

SAKS KUWAIT: INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE

PAGE 14 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Beauty salons in Australia are facing a tough new regime over sunbeds, with legislators in the state of Queensland announcing plans to ban UV tanning suites completely. Sunbeds in Queensland were due to have been switched off by New Year’s Eve. Similar bans have been proposed in other Australian states, including New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory (essentially Canberra) and South Australia.

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NEWS: ANALYSIS

A problem shared is a problem halved Last year’s NHF employment law seminars proved hugely popular with members. Croner, operator of the Legal Lifeline, which delivered the programme, looks at the topics discussed and solutions offered.

Hairdressing businesses now employ 157,000 people, with the average salon having five staff. As an industry it makes for a very significant contribution to the service sector economy.

Ask any business owner what is the hardest part of what they do and they’ll probably say managing their people. In a high pressure, people-intensive industry such as hairdressing this is even more the case.

Employing people brings huge responsibilities, especially if you are also trying to expand and grow your business.

While most of the time being an employer is really rewarding, we all recognise sometimes things can and do go wrong.

Law complexity

Fortunately, “everybody out” is no longer the norm for British industrial relations.

Nevertheless, when we become employers, we immediately find ourselves operating in the extremely complex world of employment law.

Getting it wrong when it comes to employment law can be costly, and not just for things such as compensation.

There can be significant knock-on “costs” in terms of damaged staff morale and reputational damage to the business.

To help salon owners and managers though the employment law maze, the NHF delivered a series of employment law seminars around the country during last summer and autumn.

These proved hugely popular with NHF members. From Dundee to Cambridge to Cardiff people from the industry attended and learned.

PAGE 16 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

Sometimes they had what they knew confirmed and sometimes they were completely surprised and occasionally shocked.

Range of topics

So, what were the seminars about? Those who attended heard the legal context around a wide range of topics, including employing pregnant staff, managing absence, managing flexible working requests, contracts of employment, casual workers, zero hours working and using freelancers or the self-employed.

Other subjects dealt with included social media, managing performance and those old chestnuts of employment law: managing discipline and grievances.

From our feedback from members there were a number of areas where awareness was low and the seminars were able to provide valuable guidance.

These included the fact that: • When an employee is on maternity leave (now 52 weeks) they still accrue their annual leave entitlement.

• A person can be employed and have extensive legal rights even if they have not been issued with a contract of employment and the initial understanding is that they are in the salon just for a “trial period”.

• Even if you have a written agreement with a self-employed person and they are responsible for their own tax and so on, they can still be classed as being an employee.

• A casual worker is entitled to paid holidays and can be entitled to statutory sick pay.

• An employer can investigate what an employee has said about their business on Facebook if they believe he or she has damaged the reputation of the business.

• If you do not allow an employee to have their grievance discussed, he or she may successfully be able to claim unfair dismissal.

• The most effective tool for managing absences is the simple “return to work” interview, in other words simply talking to the employee, asking how they are and telling them they are being missed.

Overall, the lesson that was taken from the seminars was that effective management of staff is not (or should not be) driven by employment law.

Rather, the most effective tool simply has to be good communication. As an employer you can prepare wonderful, legally compliant contracts and have sophisticated policies and procedures in place for every eventuality. But if you don’t communicate, they will not be understood.

Similarly, if an employee requests a flexible working pattern that might not be best for the business the best first response is simply to talk and come up with something mutually acceptable.

Benefits of sharing

Finally, the other valuable element of the seminar programme, according to members, was simply being able to network and share knowledge and information.

Just being in the same room and in an environment where they were able to raise and talk about issues – and find other members were facing the same problems, or how they dealt with similar challenges – was felt to be really important.

Many of the delegates were just pleased to know they were not alone; that many of the issues they were dealing with were being faced by others, and that the NHF was there to help.

HAIRDRESSING TRAINING: SEMINARS HELPED WITH MANAGING STAFF

INSPIRED

Images from the winners and finalists of this year’s NHF Photographic Stylist of the Year competition

Men’s winner: Joshua Goldsworthy, Goldsworthy’s Hairdressing, Swindon Men’s finalists: Craig Condy, Rainbow Room International, Glasgow (top left) Jake Carr, The Salon, Letchworth (top right)

INSPIRED Ladies winner: Elizabeth Mapp, Elizabeth & Giovannis, Kidderminster Ladies finalists: Kevin Miller, Millers, Bishop Stortford (bottom left) Jason Taylor, Kinki Boutique, Norwich (bottom right)

COLUMN

All in the mind?

Unlike a physical injury, mental ill-health is something people often find hard to deal with. The first step is learning how to listen, argues Trevor Bell.

There is huge stigma and misinformation relating to mental health in this country, which is strange when you consider that as many as one in four of us will, in any given year, experience a mental health issue of such severity it requires specific help, support or intervention.

For those of us in work the figure is slightly less, more like one in six, nevertheless, look around your own salon and count how many clients or employees you see, and then consider how many may have had, be experiencing or be trying to hide or mask mental health difficulties.

We all know Trevor Bell is an these are challenging award-winning times. Salon owners, trainer who works employees and clients with Mental are all under pressure.

Health First Aid This can, in turn, affect England and our relationships, our specialises in helping businesses, personalities and, of course, our ability to particularly in manage our personal the retail sector, understand mental and professional lives.

Economic health and how pressures mean salons such issues can can’t afford to “carry” affect their success.

His partner, Susan, staff who aren’t pulling their weight. But, at has also owned the same time, nor a hairdressing can salons afford to business, Hairbiz lose valued staff just in Hebburn, south because they’ve failed Tyneside, for more properly to manage or than 20 years. support them.

This is why we have heard a lot over the past few years of organisations needing to build “resilience” among their workers; to encourage an ability to adapt to change, uncertainty or adversity, to, in essence, be able to bounce back and take the rough with the smooth.

Some people are naturally resilient.

But resilience is also something that can be learnt and, more importantly something employees can take on board

PAGE 20 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

from how you behave, communicate, coach and mentor.

Business managers who offer good role models and demonstrate they understand the importance of employee health and wellbeing can reap rewards in terms of more engaged, loyal, “up” and resilient employees.

A salon owner is often much more than just an employer; you’ll be an adviser, confidante, counsellor and general problem solver. Yet the other side of the coin is a salon can be a creative, high pressure (and often physically small) environment where tensions and pressures can be amplified.

Identify the signs

Salon owners, of course, are not psychologists or psychiatrists, and no one expects them to be able to handle a staff member suffering from mental ill-health.

Mental ill-health can also be particularly challenging in that, unlike a broken leg or sprained wrist, it’s not visible and can affect people in different ways, with different trigger points. One person’s challenging, stressful situation can be another’s exciting adrenalin rush.

When we begin to feel mentally in crisis our behaviours subtly change, and it is worth being aware of this.

Early signs can be (but are not always) mood changes, being snappy, being unusually quiet, not wanting to engage with colleagues or clients, becoming emotional, increased absences, inappropriate behaviours, longer attendance at work, taking longer to carry out routine tasks, petty theft, self criticism, impaired memory or concentration, weight loss or gain, unexplained aches and pains, alcohol and drug experimentation.

What salon owners can do is learn to identify these warning signs, learn how to open conversations with staff and learn the importance of good day-to-day management in the context of employee wellbeing and resilience.

For example, praise and positive feedback (or at the very least feedback designed to improve rather than criticise) can help, as can giving staff a modicum

of control over their work and leading by example, for instance making a point of limiting your salon hours to show the importance of work-life balance.

The Health and Safety Executive identifies six key areas of work design (see panel) that, if not properly managed, can be associated with poor mental health and wellbeing and which, in effect, can be triggers of workplace stress. It is worth being aware of these.

Finally, a key issue I address with managers is being able to listen effectively and non-judgmentally. This is important to encourage people to come forward and open up. If you think you are going to be judged or criticised the moment you open your mouth then you are more likely to bottle things up.

Learn to listen

Learning to listen to someone – really listen – is not only a great personal tool but will benefit the business too. For someone going through a crisis or having difficulties this can be the first, key step to forming and maintaining trust, allowing that staff member to open up and tell you what it is that’s bothering them, something that just in itself can often be hugely beneficial.

For anyone interested in finding out more, whether accessing training or coaching or just general advice or guidance, please contact me on info.mhfa@blueyonder.co.uk or 07725 232504.

What the HSE says The HSE’s stress management standards outline six key primary sources of stress at work. These are: •• Demands – workload, work patterns and the work environment.

•• Control – how much say a person has in the way they do their work.

•• Support – the encouragement, sponsorship and resources provided by the organisation, line management and colleagues.

•• Relationships – promoting positive working to avoid conflict and dealing with unacceptable behaviour.

•• Role – whether people understand their role within the organisation and whether the organisation ensures they do not have conflicting roles.

•• Change – how organisational change (large or small) is managed and communicated.

BUSINESS FOCUS

Banish the new year Are you feeling optimistic or gloomy about the year ahead? With the NHF running a series of business workshops for members, salon owner and trainer Richard Wallace looks at how to make 2014 the year you take your business to the next level while, overleaf, co-trainer Chris Amos outlines how the workshops programme can benefit you and your salon.

Looking back on 2013, there are a lot of mixed messages: everyone in the south east doing fantastically well, the business climate in other parts of the country more patchy. But even with things showing signs of improvement, most salons do still appear to be feeling the pressure.

That means, as we look towards 2014, salon owners need to be sitting down and thinking long and hard about how they are going to respond to a range of key questions facing their businesses. With the mad rush up to Christmas now over, it’s the perfect moment to take stock and think strategically about where your salon is going, the challenges you are (and will be) facing and possible solutions.

Finding the right quality of staff

Whether it be stylists or apprentices, the fact is dynamic, intelligent youngsters are being discouraged from entering our industry. Hairdressing remains popular with youngsters but at the same time is often seen as an underpaid, undervalued profession – not least by schools and parents.

Salons don’t help themselves by often using apprentices as “shampoo fodder”. This is, again, not helped by a college system that churns people out with an NVQ but lacking the real skills and tools to build a sustainable column.

Richard Wallace is owner of Richard Wallace Hair in Solihull. Richard and Chris Amos started Winning Ways Education in 2009 and have worked with Wella, Aston & Fincher, colleges and now the NHF. Both run independent salons turning over £1m per year.

So, what’s the solution?

Grow your own. Salons have to be more active in capturing these little superstars early.

So, run play nights for kids to come in and practise with hair; engage parents to show that hairdressing is a viable, valuable, rewarding career for their children; show how our industry really is dynamic, creative and fun. Also, make an effort to go out and physically engage with schools and teachers.

PAGE 22 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

THE ECONOMY MAY BE TURNING, BUT IS YOUR SALON GOING TO BENEFIT DURING 2014?

Making a profit

All too often we hear stories of salon owners earning less than their stylists or, believe it or not, not taking a salary at all. The lazy assumption (especially by the great and the good within HM Revenue & Customs) can be that we’re therefore not declaring all our earnings and/or not paying employees properly, cutting corners and playing fast and loose with the tax system.

Outraged? For any hard-working salon owner struggling to “do the right thing” by both the taxman and their staff, yes, you’d be entitled to feel this perception is completely unfair.

But our experience is the increases we have seen in national insurance, VAT, the national minimum wage, fuel and utility bills, changes to maternity and paternity rights and so on have all had a corrosive effect on the ability of many salons – labour-intensive businesses with a hefty wages bill yet facing intense high street competition – to keep all their plates spinning.

It’s an uncomfortable truth, but some salons have undoubtedly succumbed to the temptation to “fiddle” things as a result. It may not always mean salons are acting illegally but in an industry that has a) a cash base and b) is not always great at compliance, even just sailing close to the wind can lead to an unwelcome spotlight and real reputational harm.

So, what’s the solution?

Get business minded. The days of salon owners being able to run a business and stand behind their chair for five or six days a week – however much you may love it – are over. An effective salon owner needs to be, yes, hands-on with clients and the “face” of the business, but it’s also about ensuring you still have time to look at the dials of your business, time for your teams and for yourself, time for strategic thinking and business planning.

BUSINESS FOCUS

blues

What NHF members say The first two NHF “profitability” seminars were held in October and November in Birmingham and Southampton, and proved an immediate, runaway success with members.

“It’s great to know that I am not doing things wrong” Emma Harding, Hardings Hairdressing Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield “I learnt how to aim towards getting more profit and how to keep clients happy” Kelly McGuire, Viara Hair Team Birmingham “I enjoyed that it was presented by ‘normal’ people with good advice” Lynsey Baker, The Vault Hair & Spa Claygate, Surrey “There was plenty of information for us to take back and think about” Tina Barker, malcolmtinabarker Poole, Dorset

Giving clients what they want

Anyone running a salon today will be fully aware client expectations have risen massively. Gone are the days when a client could be “wowed by our artistic genius”… nowadays that’s just expected!

Gone, too, are the days when we could rely on our hairdressing skills alone to attract the footfall we needed.

Many salon owners fall into the trap of thinking their competition is other salons; in reality their competition is a new pair of shoes, a night out, another handbag or even, increasingly, paying the utility, food or credit card bill, loan or mortgage.

So, what’s the solution?

Consistency. Consistency of delivery is the key to being a great business. Remember the mantra “small things done consistently every day create extraordinary results”.

So, it’s the little things that make the difference and drive success: asking the right questions in a consultation; ensuring a consistent cleanse, a great hair service, a fantastic blow-dry, thoughtful extra touches.

In summary

Last year was another record year for Richard Wallace Hair and 2014 is already looking even better. That’s not because our hairdressing is better (though I’d certainly like to think we’re as good as the best), it’s because we have a set of skills and tools to offer our teams and our clients.

I also understand my job is to be the salon owner, and that is very different to being a stylist. As a salon owner you need to have a different mindset about your salon and business; it can’t just be about the hairdressing.

I wish you all a prosperous year.

www.nhf.info

“It was good to hear from other salon owners” Rachael Riches, Hillhead Hair & Beauty Fareham, Hampshire “The day was very informative with so many good points made, one especially regarding what our retail should look like in the shop window. When we got back to the salon the next day it was the first thing we changed” Sarah Jane Godwin, House of Hair & Beauty Gosport, Hampshire “Very good, learnt a lot about moving forward with my business” Lloyd Burton, Pure Hair Southampton “In my hairdressing career I have never left a training course where I felt so motivated and inspired, including ones presented by some big names!”

Debbie Parkinson, Innervision Hair & Beauty Southampton “I enjoyed it so much – inspired to make some changes” Lucie Harrington, Lucie Harrington Farnham, Surrey

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 23

BUSINESS FOCUS

The art of knowledge Want to know what’s happening at the new NHF business workshops before you commit to signing up?

SalonFocus gets the low down.

Try not to shudder, but think back for a moment to your school maths classes.

If it’s not been completely forgotten by now, you may remember Venn Diagrams, those overlapping circles designed to show the relationships between different sets of information.

As the diagram on this page illustrates, a Venn Diagram is a handy way of showing how the NHF’s new programme of business workshops and seminars lock together, argues Chris Amos, owner of Chapters Hairs in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, who along with Richard Wallace is delivering the training.

“All the courses do stand alone but the information within them also overlaps, so we’re advising owners, if they can, to try to get to all three CHRIS AMOS: during the course WINNING FORMULA of the year,” he says.

The all-day courses are covering three topics: • how to make your salon more profitable; • how to manage yourself and your team; and • how to deliver a great client experience.

“Running a successful salon needs to be about much more than just having great skills. It also relies on good business knowledge and what we call ‘a winning formula’,” says Chris.

Think big

The workshops are an opportunity for salon owners to step back from the day-to-day and “think big” about their business and how they manage. They are a chance to gain fresh perspectives, rethink preconceptions and ambitions and, at a more practical level, simply bounce ideas off peers.

PAGE 24 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

So, if you turn up, what are you going to learn? That will, of course, to an extent depend on you. But the profitability seminars that ran last autumn certainly proved extremely popular with those who attended “The profitability courses look in depth at questions such as how much profit can you expect to make from your business, how much should you be taking out?” says Chris.

“We also talk about wages: are you paying people the right amount to keep them motivated and get the most from them? Pricing is another important topic: how do you know if your pricing is working for you or against you?” he adds.

Business knowledge

When it comes to managing yourself and your team, a key message is trying to encourage people to manage based on evidence – on facts – rather than opinion and recognising the importance of passing on business knowledge, Chris argues.

“There can be a fear that if you educate a stylist too much they’ll just disappear off down the road and open up their own salon. But in fact it’s the other way around. If you can educate them that their column is their business and explain things such as the fact all the money they see going through the till isn’t profit – and so therefore they might be better off staying working at a successful salon rather than risking everything by starting up on their own – it can be to everyone’s benefit,” he says.

Client experience can depend on something as fragile as the mood of the stylist that day, so a “winning formula” in this context is not just about how good people are at cutting and colouring, it needs to about instilling a conscious, constant process of education and motivation within your salon.

“What we try to do is explain the importance of leading from the back rather than the front; so it is all about the team and developing an environment where you are encouraging team growth and motivation,” Chris adds.

Great hairdressing skills

Good business knowledge

A winning formula

There is a full listing of the workshops taking place in your area on the Events page, page 33. Workshops will normally run from 10am to 4pm. Anyone interested in attending should contact NHF head office on 0845 345 6500 or events@nhf.info

Key topics How to make your salon more profitable •• What is profit in the salon context?

•• How much profit should you expect, and how much should you be taking out?

•• What is the relationship between wages, performance and profit?

•• How can you make pricing/price positioning work better?

How to manage yourself and your team •• Leading from the back.

•• Effective recruitment, induction, training and career progression.

•• Managing one-to-one and team meetings.

•• Holding “difficult” conversations/ the disciplinary meeting.

Delivering a great client experience •• What is it you are selling and who is your market?

•• What do clients really want and what is your real competition?

•• What does a “winning client journey” look and feel like?

•• How to be consistently great, even on a bad day!

RECOMMEND A FRIEND GET £25 EACH *

• Recommend a Friend and you will get a £25 voucher and your friend will get £25 off their membership • The friend will have to quote your membership number and RAF Advert to receive the offer.

For further information on Recommend a Friend Campaign visit:

www.nhf.info/recommend

or call one of our membership team on:

0845 345 6500

One Abbey Court | Fraser Road | Priory Business Park Bedford | MK44 3WH

t: 0845 345 6500 or 01234 831965 e: enquiries@nhf.info

www.nhf.info

TOOLBOX: EQUIPMENT

Smooth operators

Hair smoothing is growing in popularity, but getting it right requires putting time and effort into the client consultation. SalonFocus investigates.

Hair smoothing can be an important revenue stream but, for both salon and client, it’s not something to be entered into lightly. It is a substantial procedure, so a client needs to be absolutely sure it’s what they want and understands what it all means.

Moreover, having probably seen headlines in the media about the “F” word – formaldehyde – in relation to some early hair smoothing products, they may need reassurance from the salon about the product being used and the expertise of those applying it.

This means remember four words when it comes to hair smoothing: “training”, “education” and “client consultation”.

“Using a non-formaldehyde product – for us KeraStraight – gives us the confidence to recommend it to clients and dismiss any of negative assumptions or experiences of other services have formaldehyde-style chemicals,” agrees Andrew Barton, of Andrew Barton Covent Garden.

Problem areas

“For me a consultation for KeraStraight always starts with one question: ‘Tell me about your hair?’,” agrees Jez Barnett, managing director of KeraStraight. “This simple, open question allows the client to tell the hairdresser everything they do not like about their hair, how difficult it is to manage, how time consuming it is, how frizzy it gets, how weak it is and maybe how they do not want their hair to be too flat. Over 80 per cent of clients have one or more of these problems.

“Other great consultation questions would be: ‘How long does it take you to manage your hair?’ and ‘How often do you have good or great hair days?’.

The answers can lead to services, delighted clients and busier columns, which is what we all want for our businesses,” BENJAMIN SHIPMAN: SUPPORT he adds.

PAGE 26 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

“Honest advice is the very best advice,” advises Nathan Walker, international technical director at Trevor Sorbie. “As an industry, I’d say the hairdresser is the most difficult person to win over when it comes to curling hair permanently; clients don’t have as many objections as you think.

“I make it a golden rule to listen and then advise based on what I have heard.

Never over lead or direct someone to the solution that happens to be the easiest or only solution you have to offer,” he adds.

Proper education and training are absolutely key, emphasises Benjamin Shipman, marketing director for Kebelo.

“As a brand it is our responsibility to ensure our salons have the right tools, support and training to maximise their in-salon smoothing business. We do not ‘sell’ products, we help salon managers to build a Kebelo business by creating a strong brand presence in the salon.

“Our account managers assist their salons with creating a structured Kebelo business plan which includes targets, branded promotions, staff incentives and team members going on to one of the 300 Smooth Operator workshops run annually,” he explains.

“This is a full-day workshop which focuses on how to identify an ADVANTAGE smoothing system client, how the different hair types could benefit from an ADVANTAGE, what lifestyle changes come with a treatment, how to talk to clients about smoothing and so on,” he adds.

“It is very important you do your homework as to how the product works,” agrees Diren Chetty, president of Ganesha Group. “It is vital the salon owner is educating the stylist but also helping to educate the client. We include a lot of information, as well as videos, on our website www.ganeshagroup. co.uk on the treatment, after-care and so on, and so it can be a good idea to point out to the client these sorts of resources exist.”

Price transparency

It’s important, too, to be transparent about the price, advises Trevor Sorbie’s Nathan. “Never hide the price; it’s worth every penny. Never say ‘… but it’s £x’.

Instead try, ‘it’s priced at £x, I’ll give you the details you’ll need for booking it’.

MOMOKO HAIR SHAPING: USED BY TREVOR SORBIE

This leaves it open for them to decline without the embarrassment of even saying no to you,” he says.

“Recommendation comes from confidence in a product, so training is vital and we have a selection of experts who only conduct the service,” says Andrew Barton. “If the service is a full head service it’s more time-consuming for the client so we encourage her to bring work with her, log into our Wi-Fi network or even in some cases have meetings with colleagues!”

Trevor Sorbie uses Momoko Hair Shaping, Nathan adds, which suits almost every hair type and nearly all hair conditions, “so provided their hair has a structure to change we can make it curlier or smoother. This opens vital opportunities to help your clients enjoy their hair more.

“Once a hairdresser puts their fear of hair shaping behind them then they can honestly advise the best options for changing the shape of their clients’ hair,” he adds.

If you read nothing else read this…

• The client consultation is a key part of getting hair smoothing right • Clients may need reassurance about the issue of formaldehyde in some early products • Be clear about price and the time the process will take • Proper training and education are vital

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TOOLBOX: RELATIONSHIPS

Power to the people

Hairdressing is a chatty ‘people’ business and so you may think you are a good networker. But networking is a marketing and promotional tool many businesses fail to use to its full potential, argues Charlie Lawson.

Most salon owners know only too well the importance of word-of-mouth referrals as a marketing tool.

Yet, while 90 per cent of businesses rely on word-of-mouth as a means of gaining new business, our research suggests only three per cent have a formal strategy for getting new business this way.

So what do salons need to do? First, they simply need to provide an excellent service – that’s pretty much a given in the hairdressing industry. But, second, they need to polish their networking skills.

Most people get “business networking” wrong. They often think of it as specific networking events, whether it be breakfast meetings, evening events or trade shows; it is formal events where they can sell their services or brand to others.

Networking is that but it is also much more than that. Networking needs to be part and parcel of your daily salon business, business-to-client and businessto-community as well.

Some of this will, or should, be second nature to most good hairdressers: asking questions and listening (properly) to clients, telling stories and being chatty and personable.

Deeper relationship

But while there’s nothing wrong with this, you (and your stylists) should be thinking about how you can take this relationship to another level, one where you surprise and delight your clients in equal measure and, in the process, build much deeper salon loyalty.

For example, of course you’ll probably make a careful note of what regular hair treatments clients have or prefer. But how about also noting when and where they Charlie Lawson is national director of business networking organisation Business Network International (BNI) www.bni.co.uk

PAGE 28 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

tend to go on holiday and, when the time comes around, making a point of offering some specific tips for maintaining their hair while away?

You can also “give to gain”. This is one of the biggest secrets of effective networking.

For example, a new client tells you about something they are doing, such as a renovation project, buying a new car, looking for childcare and so on.

Your salon may well be a hub for local information and gossip, so you may well know the best person for the job. So don’t be afraid to recommend them. First, you’ll have done another local business a favour, and so might well get a referral or recommendation back.

Second, and more importantly, you’ll immediately have taken your relationship beyond the merely transactional salon relationship.

Client dynamic

At its most effective successful networking should be almost invisible; it’s not about the brand or “sell” even if, indirectly, that’s precisely what you are doing. It’s about the relationship, about going above and beyond the clienthairdresser dynamic.

So, never underestimate who your client might be, who they are related to or may know. A salon can be a hothouse of opportunity, links and further networks if you are open to building the right kind of relationships.

Next, get social. More and more salons are becoming social media savvy and the benefits of this are obvious.

Customers or companies who follow you on Twitter or Facebook page are “opt ins”, meaning they are happy to follow the information you put out.

So, maximise this relationship and put out as much quality, relevant and frequent content as possible. Share tips about haircare, style tips, celeb-spotting Tweets and promotional offers; ask customers for permission to photograph them and use them on your channels.

If you use a programme such as HootSuite it’s possible to pre-plan your

CHATTY: SURPRISE AND DELIGHT YOUR CLIENT

Tweets so they can go out at a set time without requiring you to be doing it while you are with clients.

Likeability

Finally, get the “L factor” – likeability. Any salon can be good, but one that in the client’s mind is both trustworthy and likeable has an immediate advantage.

This brings us full circle. The best referrals, the ones we trust the most, always come from friends and colleagues. Hairstyling is a very personal, personalised, creative process.

If your customers love what you have done, having a relationship that goes a bit deeper can encourage them to go out and be that little bit more vocal and enthusiastic about you and what a great salon you’re running.

The message here is you need to think of networking as an active ongoing commitment, a key “under the radar” part of your promotional and marketing activity.

Networking in its purest form is simply a two-way connection. So think about not just how you can help your clients, but how they can help you.

If you read nothing else read this…

•• Networking is much more than just business-to-business or peer meetings •• Deeper engagement with clients can create more word-of-mouth referrals •• It’s about the relationship not the “sell” •• Social media can be an important part of the networking process

Tried & Tested

TRIED & TESTED The NHF’s Tried and Tested panel of top salon owners gives its regular verdict on a range of established and new product and equipment.

How Tried and Tested works: The SalonFocus Tried and Tested panel is made up of NHF members who are not paid for their opinions. The rating is the opinion of the panel alone. Manufacturers who wish to submit items for testing should contact Tina Beaumont at NHF head office on tina.beaumont@nhf.info. Three samples will normally be required. Being accepted is not a guarantee a review will be published.

The product:

Michael Mercier “Untangle Your Day” Detangling Brush Description: The “Untangle Your Day” Detangling Brush from hair stylist Michael Mercier is, says his company, “uniquely designed and patented”. It is “made up of 428 bristles positioned at 32 different heights and 16 different diameters with a unique geometric distribution, helping to disperse the pressure placed on hair during brushing”.

Did it work?

Our testers said: “Yes.” “A good product which works well.”

Would you use it in your salon?

Our testers said: “Yes. I found it an asset on fine, long hair; no pulling, to the discomfort of young clients.” “No, because it retained water within the brush.”

Was there anything that stood out, good or bad?

Our testers said: “I believe this would be a great retail product, especially if it is demonstrated within the salon.” “It was very hard on the scalp and hurt clients.” “Best thing in the pack – I had people wanting to buy it; a couple of clients even got the name, Googled and bought it.”

Any other comments?

Our testers said: “Having the three colourcoded models is an advantage. I found it very good on wigs; no Tried and Tested pull out of hair.” overall rating: 4

HHHH

The product:

The product:

NISM International Fast Shampoo and Conditioner

Ahava UK Extreme Firming Eye Cream

Description: The Fast Shampoo and Conditioner from NISM International is described by the company as a “hair growth therapy”. It encourages hair to grow up to 99 per cent faster “and have more body, shine and bounce”, it adds. If your hair naturally grows one inch a month, this will increase to as much as two inches, it calculates.

Did it work?

Our testers said: “The clients that I used it on were very happy with the results.” “No.”

Would you use it in your salon?

Our testers said: “I would not use it in the salon but I would retail it, as it has got a good appeal factor on what it can do for hair growth.” “No.” Was there anything that stood out, either good or bad?

Our testers said: “An easy-touse product if time is taken to apply. Clients felt relaxed and full of expectations in seeing final results.” “It made several people’s scalps very dry and itchy.” “I didn’t see the improvement in length that I was hoping for from using it every day.”

Any other general comments?

Our testers said: “I would recommend it to clients.”

HH

www.nhf.info

Tried and Tested overall rating: 2.7

Description: Part of mineral skincare firm Ahava’s Extremes of Nature range, Extreme Firming Eye Cream “provides women with mature skin with an exceptional, highly advanced formula that effectively reduces wrinkles around the delicate area of the eyes”, the company says.

Did it work?

Our testers said: “I didn’t find much of a difference in my skin.” “It worked very well with clients, who liked the feel of the cream.”

Would you use it in your salon?

Our testers said: “No.” “If I had a beauty section I would use it.”

Was there anything that stood out, either good or bad?

Our testers said: “The cream gave a nice texture and left my eyes feeling moisturised.” “The product is one that you have to use sparingly to get the desired effect. It is not greasy and it is gentle to use.” “Excellent – been using it myself!”

Any other general comments?

Our testers said: “A good quality product.”

HHH

Tried and Tested overall rating: 3.8

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 29

FEDERATION FOCUS

Workshops, apps, new services…

NHF activity for 2014 The NHF, as SalonFocus has reported in its news section, is launching an array of new benefits and offers during 2014.

In more detail, and as a guide for members, this is what is happening and what they can expect to see over the coming months. Full details of all this new activity can also be found at http:// www.nhf.info/member-benefits-andservices/

NHF pension Although discussions were still at an early stage as SalonFocus went to press, and much of the detail has yet to be hammered out, the intention is to launch a bespoke pension for NHF members and their employees during 2014.

One of the key motivations behind this is to offer members a practical tool that will help them cope with the arrival of auto-enrolment for pensions within the hairdressing industry over the next two to three years.

Business workshops and seminars A nationwide programme of seminars and workshops has been launched from this month, focusing on three topics: “delivering a great client experience”, “how to make your salon more profitable” and “managing yourself and your team”.

Full details of where and when these are taking place are outlined on Events, page 33, and online at www.nhf.info, as well as within the Business Focus section on page 24.

The NHF tested the water by running some initial “profitability” workshops during the autumn, and demand proved extremely popular, so members are being encouraged to book early.

The workshops, which are being delivered by salon owners and business

PAGE 30 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

areas such as your website, bookings, housekeeping, customer greeting and reception, merchandising and retail, hygiene standards and aftercare.

Free chair renting agreements SALON APP: VITAL FOR FOOTFALL

trainers Richard Wallace and Chris Amos, will be open both to members and non-members.

NHF calculator This year will see the launch of an “NHF calculator”, an app that members will be able to download and which can help them calculate holidays and holiday pay, maternity leave and maternity pay and redundancy payments.

NHF salon app With mobile functionality and mobile presence increasingly seen as a key element of bringing footfall to a salon, members will be able through the NHF to create a mobile app specifically for their salon.

The bespoke app will enable members to build and design an app that is able to host a variety of different features and benefits.

Elements will include giving clients the ability to recommend a friend, manage their appointments, see a gallery or showcase of your work and read up on your salon and its service list. There will be a “multi-venue” tool for chains that have more than one salon and special offer functionality to allow salons to alert clients to promotional activity.

The app will also include an analytics feature to allow you to track and manage how your app is working, push messaging and SMS functionality, point-of-sale material and “QR” code functionality to read the phone to read embedded promotional messages.

Mystery shopper service Members will be offered access to a bespoke NHF mystery shopper service.

The service, which will cost £250 for an “expert” mystery shopper and £99 for a “customer” mystery shopper will examine your salon’s customer experience and service and your effectiveness in

From this month all members will be able to receive the NHF’s chair renting agreements for free.

These independent contractor agreements incorporate all the legal aspects of chair renting along with extensive guidance.

These will be able available to view and download from http://members. nhf.info/nhfshop/ or from the NHF’s CHAIR RENTING AGREEMENT: online shop.

NOW FREE

New restrictive covenants factsheet The NHF will be publishing new restrictive covenant factsheets for members. These, once again, will be available from the NHF shop, which can be found online at http://members.nhf. info/nhf-shop/

And don’t forget…

These new member benefits are on top of additions to the membership package announced last year.

These include: • Special rates with directory company thomsonlocal on its SearchVisibility product, which can help salons optimise their websites to ensure they come higher on search engine results.

• Discounted private medical and dental healthcare, travel insurance, vehicle recovery, income protection and life and accident insurance through the Hospital and Medical Care Association.

• A 70 per cent discount on a subscription to DLT magazines, which publishes Elle, Company, Cosmopolitan and Vogue, among others.

FEDERATION FOCUS

London looking for incredible inspiration!

NHF London Region is holding an “Inspiration Day” in April, giving young stylists and apprentices the chance to enter a competition for the first time and listen to a top hairdresser pass on tips and advice on how to excel in the world of hairdressing.

The event is being held on April 30 at the Schwarzkopf Academy on Seymour Place in London from 10.45am.

Anyone interested in entering will need to submit a mood board, no larger than A3, showing what drove them to become a hairdresser, their inspirations and influences plus an A4, 200-word outline covering the same theme.

Applications need to be in by February 28, and there is a £10 entry fee. Twelve finalists will be chosen to attend the event at the academy, with the winner announced on the day.

The region is also running an “NHF Incredibles” workshop for more experienced stylists.

The two-day event will take place on June 11 and September 24 at the Goldwell Academy on Sackville Street and will be an opportunity for employees to get experience of creating a photo-shoot and pictures for the salon to use.

Anyone interested should submit a head and shoulder picture of a model (no larger than 6x4) showing what they think is on trend for spring/summer 2014 and an A3 mood board.

The deadline, again, is February 28 and the entry fee for this event is £20. Entry details can be found at www.nhf.info

Regional round-up

sponsors from all over the UK flying in to Congratulations to all the winners and support what is sure to become a regular competitors who took part in October’s fixture,” said regional president Carl Hinder.

Welsh Region Welsh Hairdressing Awards.

Avon Networking Group The awards for the first held a catwalk show in time included a category of October in aid of children’s Welsh Hairdresser of the charity Jessie May Trust.

Year, which was won by Flora The eight Bristol salons Lazarou, of Lazarou Brothers and two barber shops that in Birchgrove, Swansea and took part each chose a theme Welsh Barber of the Year, for their show and there was a won by Amber Watson of talk from Jessie May Trust.

Ambers Barbers in Ebbw Vale.

The show attracted more Liz Shipton, formerly of than 300 people, including Style Collection in Bristol, was friends, family, clients and inducted into the “Welsh Hall members of the public. of Fame” for her significant “It was a fantastic contribution to Welsh WINNERS: FLORA LAZAROU networking exercise for all the hairdressing over many years. AND AMBER WATSON salons and behind the scenes More than 5,000 votes getting ready for the catwalk were cast in the run-up to during the day and evening the awards, held at Cardiff the atmosphere was just so Masonic Hall. enjoyable,” said the networking The event was attended group’s Martin Zullo. by national president Paul “We ended up raising Curry, immediate past nearly £700 for the charity, president Mark Coray and and the motivation and chief executive Hilary Hall. enthusiasm from all our staff “The sell-out, red-carpet was well worth the effort,” event was attended by salons he added. from all over Wales, with

www.nhf.info

From the NEC This year’s Britain’s Best competition excelled, writes Elke Hayden, artistic committee member, chair of Devon and Cornwall Region and a governor at South Devon College.

I’ve been a hairdresser for around 40 years and have been involved in competitions all that time. I’ve also found them extremely useful for my business in terms of the profile and publicity you can gain, and in helping to bring on stylists and apprentices.

My team has won lots of medals over the years, and it is always something customers are very interested in and want to talk about. They follow our progress and want to know what competitions we’ll be entering.

To that end, November’s Britain’s Best was a brilliant event. I went last year as well and I can assure you it was even more exciting, intense and dramatic this time around! It was also well organised and smoothly run.

One of the things I love about competition hairdressing is how it acts like the catwalk for hairdressing – it is a place where a stylist can let their imagination, and talent, run riot and create styles that, of course, they’d never get to do in a salon environment. It’s a way of pushing your skills to the limit and showing how you react under pressure.

The artistic committee will now, of course, spend the first few months of this year assessing the reaction to Britain’s Best and, looking forward, discussing its plans for 2014.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight the work of an excellent charity that I’m sure many hairdressers would be interested in.

It’s called Heather’s Hair www.heathershair.co.uk and helps people recovering from cancer by offering a lightweight hairpiece as an alternative to a full wig, which can be worn under a simple head covering. It’s something I’ve got involved in and feel passionate about, and is the sort of thing where the skills we offer can make a real difference.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014 SALONFOCUS PAGE 31

CASE CONFIDENTIAL

An explosive mixture?

Rebecca Linacre, employment consultant at Croner, operator of the NHF’s Legal Lifeline, analyses a reallife call to the helpline and the advice subsequently offered to the salon owner.

During the autumn an NHF member contacted the Legal Lifeline with regards to an issue with two of her stylists – a serious altercation had occurred within sight and earshot of clients, so having the potential to affect business and turnover.

A stylist had been by the reception desk talking to the receptionist about salon charges and how in her opinion the charges were unfair. She had been very vocal about her opinions, so much so other employees and clients were able to overhear.

Raised voices

Another stylist decided to step in, and approached the reception desk and asked her if she could “tone it down” because clients were able to hear. The first stylist fired back at her to “mind her own business” and swore at her, albeit under her breath.

This, unsurprisingly, quickly raised the temperature, with the second stylist asking her colleague to confirm what she had said, physically approaching her, shouting at her and waving her hands in front of her face.

When the first stylist grabbed her colleague’s hands to move them away from her face, this then unleashed more anger, with the second stylist loudly making the clear threat, “I am going to smash your face in”.

Bad blood

Clearly, the salon faced a problem. Both stylists were good at their jobs but the bad blood now between them had the potential to have a far-reaching impact on working relations in the salon, not to mention the possibility of damaging the salon’s reputation and professional appearance with clients.

The salon owner contacted the Legal Lifeline, which advised her first to speak to each of the employees separately to get their version of events She was also advised to consider whether it would be practical for these employees to continue to work together and, if not, how in a small salon they could realistically be kept apart or put

PAGE 32 SALONFOCUS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014

on to different working patterns, so as to avoid suspension.

In their respective meetings, each stylist admitted to the allegations.

The first stylist, who had initially been complaining about the salon, conceded she had got angry and sworn, but said she had been frustrated by the way her colleague had spoken to her in front of clients.

The second stylist admitted to the same failings, as well as conceding she had made a threat and waved her hands in front of her colleague’s face in an aggressive and intimidating way. Her argument in mitigation was that her colleague had annoyed her, challenged her authority and sworn at her.

Witness statements

The salon also obtained two witness statements from colleagues who had seen what had happened, which supported both versions of events. On a more positive note, rather than suspend the two, the salon owner believed she had worked out a way to keep the two stylists at work but apart, and all sides considered this a reasonable alternative to suspension.

On our advice the salon owner invited the two employees into separate disciplinary hearings, to be conducted by a person not involved in the previous investigation.

Allegations of verbal abuse, with the addition of threatening and aggressive behaviour for the second employee, were put to them to respond to. Each case was considered serious enough to have the potential to amount to gross misconduct.

At their respective hearings both admitted the allegations but blamed their behaviour on the other as being the “aggressor” or the “provoker”.

Following the hearings, further advice was sought from the lifeline. For the employee who had sworn and shouted at her colleague, this was considered serious but not serious enough to warrant dismissal. As it was considered a one-off offence the sanction was a final written warning rather than dismissal.

However, with the employee who demonstrated aggressive and threatening behaviour towards her colleague, the salon owner could not be satisfied this would not reoccur and, for the safety of clients and fellow employees, she was dismissed.

The salon was of the opinion this behaviour did justify “dismissal in the first instance”. Intriguingly, while each employee blamed the other, neither displayed any remorse for their actions, showing the difficulty salon owners can often face in resolving and defusing such situations.

What the Legal Lifeline offers you: • •

24/7 employment-related queries Advice on commercial matters, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday

Access to the Legal Lifeline is available by calling 01234 831965.

Alternatively NHF members can log on to www.nhf.info. A summary of cover can be found on the reverse of your legal card carrier or by logging onto www.nhf.info.

The NHF operates a “fair use policy” for the lifeline. Members making an excessively high number of calls within a 12-month period may be charged £20 plus VAT per call. All calls to the Legal Lifeline are recorded and monitored

by Croner. If your chosen membership category does not include employer support service or your membership is unpaid at the time of any call a charge of £20 plus VAT will apply for all such calls made.

EVENTS

EVENTS Please send your events to the NHF at events@nhf.info by 17 January for March/ April 2014, February 28 for May/June and May 1 by July/August. Updated events listed on www.nhf.info

25

JAN Yorkshire Region Banquet & Ball, in honour of new national president Paul Curry, York. Contact: Glen Jackson on 01904 635877

2

FEB Welsh Region Annual General Meeting. Contact: Carl Hinder on 07931 518642 or welshregion@nhf.info

10

FEB Bournemouth ‘masterclass’.

Contact: Wendy Cummins on 02380 611299

23

FEB Yorkshire Region Annual General Meeting. Contact: Phill Cooling on 07816 306305 or yorkshireregion@nhf.info

16/17

MARCH Blackpool NHF Competition, Winter Gardens, Blackpool.

Contact: Susan Lowe on 01253 764808

Workshops and seminars The NHF is during 2014 running a series of three business-focused seminars: • • •

Delivering a great client experience How to make your salon more profitable Managing yourself and your team

Anyone interested in attending these should contact NHF head office on 0845 345 6500 or events@nhf.info

How to make your salon more profitable

Delivering a great client experience

Managing yourself and your team

FEB

JAN

FEB

MARCH

MARCH

MARCH

APRIL

JULY

11 – Norwich

10 - Glasgow 24 – Plymouth

APRIL

27 – Northampton

11 – Glasgow

14 – Leeds

7 – Cardiff

MAY

JUNE 3 – Maidstone

19 – Nottingham

JUNE 2 – Preston 30 – Newcastle

OCT

20 - Chelmsford

NOV

24 – Bournemouth

25 – Bristol

7 – Peterborough 14 – Worcester

SEPT 22 – Derby

JULY

1 – Darlington

SEPT

NOV

3 – Chester 11 – Edinburgh

1 – Reading

NOV 24 - Swansea

4 – York 10 - Edinburgh

27

APRIL Northern England Championships, Marriot Hotel, Gateshead.

Contact: Avril Walker on 01642 597197 or northeastregion@nhf.info

30

APRIL London Region “Inspiration Day”.

Contact NHF head office on 01234 834386 or events@nhf.info

NHF EVENTS OTHER www.nhf.info

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 SALONFOCUS PAGE 33

SOCIAL MEDIA

All the latest hairdressing-related tweets posts, pics and comments.

@nhfederation Emma Phillips @Emmakphillips @NHfederation amazing day and became senior champion! Amazing!!!

Joshua Goldsworthy @josh_golds On my way to the @NHfederation #BritainsBest awards. I’m up for #StylistOfTheYear & #MensPhotographic fingers crossed and see you all soon James Whitaker Hair @jwhitakerhair Great to be at @NHfederation #britainsbest with the @UniteTeamUk and @Paulwattshair. Seeing some great work.

Puro Hair LTD @purohairorganic Some amazing work going on #britainsbest @NHfederation Samantha smith @Sammie_smithXx Amazing day. And the hair looks incredible #britainsbest John Fraser Jenkins @johnfrasjenkins @NHfederation YES got 2 in the junior category, looks great backstage!

Darryn Pitman @TheDarrynPitman Me and my team @ICEHairGroup are ready to rock the stage!!! #TheDarrynPitman #britainsbest Ollie Vines @OllsVines 17 Nov En route to Birmingham for @ NHfederation #britainsbest model all prepped!

Hairven: Salon Well done all honoured to be amongst such talented stylists X Louise Lane Enjoyed every moment of being there, some fab hair today.

Well done to everyone who took part. X Steve Naylor-hall We have a 3 hour drive there and a 3 hour drive home, but it’s all worth it… amazing day out...

Barbarella Hair @BarbarellaHairx So excited to be at #britainsbest put on by @NHfederation top show guys!

Twitter followers: 2,396 Top Tweeter: The Hair Boutique, UK

Jamie Stevens @jamiestevens7 Congratulations to all the finalists and winners at this year’s @NHfederation #britainsbest Some amazing work on show. Had a ball x moonface. @hartlouisex 16h @jamiestevens7 meeting you today was brilliant. Truly inspirational to realise I can achieve what I want. #balloongirl #britainsbest Lauren Jones @o0lauren0o 17h @Hairven1 @jamiestevens7 @NHfederation had a great time today! #britainsbest

Facebook likes: 6,544 Top Liker: James Whitaker, James Whitaker Hairdressers

National Hairdressers’ Federation What winds you up most about your customers? Have you had experience with nightmare customers? Do you regularly bite your tongue to keep the peace?

Tells us what annoys you or perhaps you have some good advice for your customers about how to get the best service from you?

Angela Young The biggest wind-up would be when clients phone to say they are running late and when they arrive, say 15mins late, say they have to be out within 30 mins. We won’t drop our standards and put out shoddy work so we have to try and keep the client happy (no pressure then).

Phil Evans Years ago I had a client that none of my stylists could make happy, she moved from one to the other always complaining about the last stylist.

In the end I asked her to leave – she stopped complaining and became a great client. Strange.

Punksandpinups Hair No-shows without any text/phone all.

Late clients that still sit outside on their phone for another 15 minutes. Clients that moan about prices. It’s there for you to see, if you don’t like it, don’t moan, just find somewhere cheaper.

Clients that think you make all the money that you charge and don’t realise the cost and professionalism they are paying for.

Connect with us. and have your comments and tweets in the next issue of SalonFocus

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